Give me some last minute help with my WC

[Ruahrc]

OK I just got around to thinking about this whole setup.... and yet another few questions (actually only one) came up.

My fan needs to be mounted on the radiator yet (actually still needs to get here) and I was wondering how to orient it. Originally I was thinking of simply mounting the fan so that it blows across the radiator and out the case. My reasoning for this was: the air will theoretically get hot while passing through the radiator and thus I would want it to exit the case, right? Pro: "hot" air leaves the case. Con: using "hot" case air to cool the radiator

The other option was to mount the fan so that it sucks through the radiator and into the case. Pro: takes "cool" outside air and cools radiator, and with such a large fan the desireable positive pressure is achieved in the csae. Con: "hot" air after cooling the radiator is dumped inside the case.

The only other case fans I have besides my radiator fan (120mm) is an 80mm Panaflo which I have to basically suck air into the case and blow it onto my video card, and the Enermax PS dual fan thingy which would suck hot air out the top of the case.

So which is it, mount it to suck or blow?

Also, please give me some estimates on temps. It'll be cooling a Tbird 1333 non o/c most likely with a slightly lower voltage, Aquatstealth (2?) WC kit, but with a 69cfm 120mm Panaflo L1A fan. I'm hoping for sub-100F all the time.

Thanks- will post results soon!

Ruahrc

[krusty the klown]

Hmmm... I'd have thought that passing air over the radiator & then into the case kinda defeats the object somewhat.

From those two scenarios, passing the case air over the radiator then to outside (the room the machine's in) sounds like the best plan, IMO.

The CPU is the largest single generator of heat (esp. with a 1.3G Athlon) in the case and you've effectively removed it from the equation by using watercooling, so you don't want ot be pumping that heat back into the case http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[samwichse]

I've seen a lot of people with inside case mounted watercoolers completely seal the air going through it off from the rest of the case. As in, the air is drawn in a port on one side and exits on the other side, not entering the main part of the case at all.

[Szech]

If you have good case ventilation, having it suck in through the front of the case, through the radiator doesn't impact the case temperatures too badly (one guy on Overclockers said his was 3C higher), and it results in better processor temperatures. It does heat up the case air, but if you can get the air out of there fast enough, then it won't pose a problem. Having it blow out of the case, onto the radiator would be better for case temps, but you would get higher processor temps.

The only thing I would be concerned about with having it blow out of the front is that ATX cases are generally designed to have air come in the bottom front, and exhaust out the back. Forcing air to go out the bottom front could create problems with airflow.

Best way to find out if it's a problem? Try both and record your temperatures.